The present invention relates to needle protection devices, and more specifically a needle protection device that could securely couple to a vial having a needle extending therefrom for preventing the needle, once contaminated, from being further exposed to the environment.
A needle protection device for use with a vial that contains medicament to be used with applicators such as the TUBEX and CARPUJECT applicators is disclosed in the aforenoted related ""819 application. One embodiment of the related device disclosed in the ""819 application has a collar that slidably fits over the hub of a vial and secures thereto by means of a number of extending fingers. Another embodiment of the ""819 device has an open collar that mounts about the vial. A pair of interlocking extensions from the collar coact to secure the collar about the vial. Although work well, these devices fail to take full advantage of the structure of the vial itself and the interaction between the vial and the applicator in order to securely couple the needle protection device to the vial.
The present invention needle protection device is to be used with a vial or capsule that has a body and a neck extending therefrom. The vial has a needle hub either interposed between the neck and the body of the vial or fitted over the neck of the vial. A needle extending from the hub is fluidly connected to the vial. The needle hub has a skirt portion that is movable along the neck of the vial.
The needle protection device of the instant invention has a needle protection housing hingedly or flexibly connected to an open ended collar. The collar has a main portion that fits about at least a portion of the body of the vial, and an extension that fits about at least a portion of the neck of the vial.
To couple the collar to the vial, with the needle hub, and the skirt portion thereof, moved as far away from the body of the vial as feasible, the collar of the needle portion housing is snap fitted about the body and the neck of the vial. Once the collar is thus fitted to the vial, the hub fitted over the neck of the vial is moved towards the body of the vial, so that the skirt portion thereof caps or overlaps the extension of the collar fitted about the neck of the vial. When thus capped, the collar, and therefore the needle protection housing, is securely coupled to the vial. Thereafter, to prevent the needle that extends from the vial from being exposed to the environment, the housing only needs to be pivoted, relative to the collar, to the longitudinal axis of the vial, to thereby envelop the needle extending from the vial.
An improved syringe assembly is effected when a vial fitted with the needle protection housing as described above is placed in a vial applicator, such as for example a CARPUJECT applicator. Once firmly seated within the cavity of the vial applicator, a mechanism integral to the applicator is actuated to apply a biasing force against the body of the vial to force the skirt portion of the needle hub and the collar extension to move relatively towards each other, with the end result being that the collar extension is capped by the hub skirt portion, thereby firmly coupling the needle housing to the vial, which in turn is held by the biasing force within the cavity of the holder applicator. To use, a rod movable along the length of the applicator is mated to a plunger seal or gasket that is movable within the body of the vial for effecting a plunger, which, when pushed, will cause the medicament stored in the vial to be ejected out of the needle. Once used, the needle is prevented from being further exposed by being enveloped by the needle housing of the syringe assembly.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a vial securely fitted with a needle protection housing.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an improved syringe assembly made up of a vial, a needle protection housing securely coupled thereto, and a holder applicator into which the vial is securely held.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a needle protection housing that could be retrofitted to existing vials or capsules in which medicament may be stored.